


A New Home

by Aqualegia



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 23:48:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8944237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aqualegia/pseuds/Aqualegia
Summary: Finding Atlantis a New Home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For danceswithgary

John Sheppard walked into the Conference Room carrying a cup of coffee he'd collected from the Mess after eating his breakfast.

"Good Morning, Elizabeth," he said as the doors closed behind him.

"Good Morning, John. Have you seen any of the others?"

John nodded. "Yes, they were finishing up with their breakfasts as I refilled my mug; so they should be here very soon." He took a seat at the table, and laid out a pad and pencil in front of him.

Elizabeth nodded, and returned her gaze to the report she was reading, only having to look up again almost immediately as the doors opened again to admit, Rodney, Teyla and Aiden. She waited until they had taken their seats, then said, "John, you asked for this meeting... So what did you want to tell us?"

John resisted the temptation to rub the back of his neck, then said. "Rodney and I were talking at breakfast, and we've come up with an idea about the list of addresses that the Old Elizabeth gave us. On that list there are two addresses to which we haven't been able to connect. We were wondering if some characters had been accidently, or purposefully, transposed. What we would like to do, is try dialling some combinations of the letters and numbers to see if we can get a lock."

"There could be a lot of combinations," Elizabeth interrupted, "Can we afford the power?"

"Yes," Rodney replied. "John suggested that we take the first three characters of the first address, and use the last three characters of the second address to see if that connects to a planet. If not, try the other combination. In case we do get a connection, I'd like to get a M.A.L.P. ready, and a Jumper, so we can go though immediately. If it's daylight on the planet and there is enough clearance of course. Otherwise we'll have to walk and possibly take another team with us."

Elizabeth nodded her understanding. "When did you want to try this?"

"This morning if possible," John and Rodney spoke together, then grinned at one another.

Elizabeth cocked her head, thinking of the three hive ships heading in their direction, then said, "I can't see any reason why we shouldn't give it a try. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

The four team members all shook their heads.

"Then I suggest we get ready to run the tests that John and Rodney have requested."

They all got to their feet and left the room.

~~#~~

Less than an hour later, the four team members were standing on the bridge outside Elizabeth's office, waiting for her to finish her conversation with Sergeant Bates. The Marine guards were in place, and the M.A.L.P. was waiting just outside the splash zone ready for them to use. Elizabeth followed Bates out, and they moved to the D.H.D. as Grodin dialled the first address on the piece of paper Rodney had handed to him. The Gate failed to connect. Grodin then dialled the second address he'd been given, and to everyone's relief, this time they were rewarded with the splash denoting a gate connection.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth ordered the M.A.L.P. to be sent through the gate, then joined AR-1 in staring at the monitor to find out what the planet was like.

When the telemetry came up on the screen both John and Rodney sighed with relief as Grodin said. "Gravity, air quality, in fact all the other readings are pretty much the same as we have here on Lantea."

Elizabeth smiled at the waiting team. "You have a go."

The team turned as one, and ran up the stairs to the Jumper bay. They shucked their gear in the rear portion of the craft and took their normal seats at the front. John closed the rear hatch, then lowered the Jumper into the gate room and guided it through the gate. He landed the Jumper out of the splash zone, then dialled back to Atlantis so that Ford could return the M.A.L.P. though the wormhole.

While his teammates were dealing with the M.A.L.P, Rodney studied his tablet to see if there were any energy signatures which they could use to determine in which direction they should travel. He walked all the way around the gate, taking readings and was joined by John once the gate was shut down again.

"Any interesting readings?" John asked quietly.

Rodney shrugged. "There's an anomalous reading coming from directly behind the gate, it's rather feint, but it's the only one I've got, so I suggest we check it out."

John nodded. "Okay, lets get back in the Jumper and go take a look."

After retaking his seat, John turned to Aiden and Teyla. "Rodney has picked up a feint reading behind the gate, so we're going to head there first." After getting nods of understanding from them, he turned back to the controls and positioned the Jumper directly behind the Stargate, then started off in a straight line climbing above what few trees there were so that he wouldn't have to deviate from their course.

After they had been travelling for about twenty minutes, Rodney said, "The signal is still directly ahead of us and has got a little stronger."

"That's good to know," John replied, not taking his eyes from the view in front of him. "There appears to be a line of hills in front of us so I might have to climb higher. Will that affect your fix on the signal?"

Rodney shrugged. "It shouldn't do," he said, taking a quick look out of the view screen. "Just let me know when you have to start climbing so that I can turn up the gain to keep track. I don't want to keep it turned up permanently as I don't know how it's affecting the battery."

"Will do," John assured him. After another forty minutes, John spoke again. "Rodney, we're getting very close to the hills now, and some of them are rather big. I'm going to have to start climbing in the next few minutes, so let me know when you're ready."

Rodney took another quick look outside. Then, having fiddled with the tablet for a couple of minutes he said, "I'm ready when you are John."

"I'm starting the climb now," John replied, and pulled the Jumper's nose up to gain enough height to clear the hilltops. After he'd levelled out again, he glanced at Rodney and asked, "How's the signal Rodney?"

"I can't tell the direction.... Can you hover and turn around very slowly?"

Without saying a word, John did as he'd been asked.

Rodney scowled at the readings, then said, "I think it's somewhere beneath us. Take us down gently, John."

"Okay. I think I saw a plateau slightly to the left of our flight path, so we might be able to put down there if you need to get a more accurate reading."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rodney muttered, as he tried to make sense of the information on the screen.

After another five minutes, John said, "We're now about six feet off the ground. Do you want me to hover or land on the plateau?"

Rodney debated with himself for a moment, then said. "I think it would be best for us to land. What's the air quality and the temperature like at this altitude?"

"We're not all that high, so air quality is the same as before. The temperature, however, is a little bit cooler than around the gate." John replied, after studying his instruments.

"Okay. I think I'll get out after we land, I'll probably be able to pinpoint the signal more easily once I'm outside."

John turned the Jumper towards the plateau, then urged it gently forward. "What the hell!" he suddenly exclaimed as something took control of the craft. He glared at the readings altering in front of him.

Rodney's head jerked up. "What's the matter? What's going on? John?"

John stared at the dials in front of him, then looked out the view screen. "I think we've found the source of the signal. It's now giving out the same readings as when the automatic program in Atlantis parks the Jumpers in the bay. I think we're being drawn into an Ancient facility."

Moments later, the Jumper was wrapped in a golden glow, then two doors opened in the plateau and a rectangular 'hole' appeared. The Jumper was drawn inside, and as soon as it touched the floor, the overhead doors closed and bright lights illuminated the area. The back hatch swung down, obviously inviting them to disembark.

Rodney looked at his tablet, then said. "Well, this is where the signal was coming from, and it's now stopped broadcasting, so we might as well take a look around."

They moved to the rear compartment to pick up their P90s and packs before walking down the ramp and looking around the Jumper bay.

"Wow," John muttered, finally finding his voice. "More Jumpers than I can count. I wonder if they were made here."

Rodney shrugged helplessly. "I've no idea," he murmured. "This isn't what I expected at all."

"We need to find a map of this place, since it was on the list that old Elizabeth gave us." Teyla replied calmly, at the same time as John said:

"We need to find a transporter. That way we can get to the control center without having to tramp through miles of corridors."

John and Teyla looked at one another and laughed, at which point Rodney relaxed a little and started using his tablet to find a way to reach the control room quickly. They walked out of the Jumper bay, and John found a transporter almost immediately by running his hand along the opposite wall. They crowded inside and John pressed the center of the map. Moments later, they stepped out on to a bridge just like the one near Elizabeth's office on Atlantis.

Looking to their right, John said, "That looks just like the Control Room in Atlantis, when we first walked into the City."

John and Rodney walked towards the consoles, but Teyla and Aiden cried out in surprise as a force field suddenly appeared, cutting them off from the rest of the team. John went back and thought 'off' at it, but it didn't budge. He pulled a face, then said, "See if you can get into that office and wait for us there, or you could go back to the Jumper."

"I think I'll try the office first." Teyla replied. Aiden just shrugged and nodded his agreement to the plan. John stayed in place until they were ensconced in the office, then went to look over Rodney's shoulder at the information he was getting from the Console, and downloading it to his tablet. Watching the pages on the Console's screen, John suddenly reached out to pause the flow of information.

"What!" Rodney growled. "Why did you..."

"It says Potentia right there." John replied, pointing to a paragraph near the bottom of the page. "Maybe we should read that part right now!"

Rodney carefully translated the preceding and following pages to make sure they understood just why the Potentia had been mentioned. When he was done, he turned to John and asked, "Is it wishful thinking that they mean we might find one or two Zero Point Modules here?"

"I believe so," John replied. "This planet was on old Elizabeth's list, and the facility is well protected and somewhat paranoid about people having the Ancient Gene to gain access to certain areas. Taking all that into consideration, I think you and I need to take a very close look at the area referred to in this document. Even if we only manage to get one, we could fly the city to a planet in another solar system. Then they won't know where to find us.

"We'll also have to make sure that our After Action Reports only show the original gate address we were given, I'm not sure that anything other than an Ancient Ship, could safely approach this facility."

Rodney nodded. "You have a point there. That's probably why the gate addresses were scrambled originally. We'd better leave Teyla and Ford here, or maybe back with the Jumper, just in case there are some nasty surprises for any people without the gene."

"Let's pack up here, and then go talk to them."

Rodney repacked his backpack, then he and John walked into the office where they had left their teammates.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Aiden asked as soon as the door was closed.

"Yes, we did." John replied quickly. "Two important things actually. One is that we might find a Z.P.M. here; and two, most of this facility has measures to stop people without the A.T.A. gene from walking around it. So for safety's sake, I want to take you, and Teyla, back to the Jumper as I can't guarantee that the facility's defence system won't try to kill you if we are not with you. At least as long as you remain inside the Jumper, you're in the vehicle in which you arrived."

"You really think it might harm us?" Teyla asked.

Rodney nodded. "Yes, both John and I got that impression from the wording in the document that warned of the measures put in place to prevent non A.T.A. people wandering around. We don't want to come back to find you burnt to a crisp."

Teyla nodded her understanding, with Aiden following her lead, as she said, "Thank you both for looking out for us, we appreciate it very much."

Aiden stood up and said. "Let's get going then. The earlier you drop us off at the Jumper the more time you will have to get us a Z.P.M."

The four team members left the office and used the transporter to get them back to the Jumper, and as the back hatch was closing Teyla and Aiden wished them both good luck.

John and Rodney, having done their best to secure their teammates, went back to the transporter and John pressed the area where the latest batch of documents had referenced the manufacturing and charging of Potentia. Once there, they accessed the Consoles that could provide them with the information they required to complete their quest.

With both of them reading the documents, they soon found the information they needed, which Rodney copied to another folder on his tablet to make sure it was quick and easy to find when they needed it. Shutting down the Console, once the download was complete, they used the map on the tablet to make their way to the manufacturing plant.

When they finally reached the last door, John leant against it and said, "I think it's time we stopped for something to eat and drink. We've been on the go for a long time, and I don't want your hypoglycemia to become a problem; your hands are already starting to shake a bit."

Rodney looked down at his hands and winced, he then took off his backpack before saying, "I think you're right, we should stop here for a while; and, er, thanks for noticing." He slid down the wall beside the door and opened his pack to pull out an MRE and his canteen. John joined him on the floor and extracted his own meal from his backpack. They swapped a few things, then got down to the business of eating their meals.

They rested for a while afterwards, and John tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. "I've been thinking," he says. "What if we don't find a Z.P.M. Can we find of way to hide ourselves before they arrive?"

Rodney leant his head back against the door, obviously thinking deeply about his reply. "The only way we could try to hide, is to get most of the people out of the city by evacuating them to the Alpha site; put the shield up and then sink it. If they can't see us, maybe they'll go away. We'd have to shut everything down though, so that there's no noise being generated."

When Rodney remained silent, John asked another question. "If we find one full, or almost full, Z.P.M. would it have enough power to let us fly the city to another planet?"

"Theoretically, yes. It would depend on how far away the other planet was, and if there were any obstacles in our path, like asteroids for instance."

"So really, we need two or three full ones to escape."

"I think two would be enough if used alongside the one we already have, but three full ones would be much better. Not exactly invulnerable, but pretty damn close," he said with a grin.

John grinned back, and got to his feet. Putting his backpack on first, he handed Rodney's pack to him before holding out a hand to help him up, and using the momentum to pull him in to his arms for a quick kiss. "I'm looking forward to being able to get you back in my bed."

"Me too," Rodney replied. "Let's go take a look at what's behind this door."

John placed one hand on the door and thought at it hard, asking it to open. It eventually slid aside, and with their arms still around each other they wandered inside.

Getting the Z.P.Ms they needed was so easy after all the other obstacles they'd had to overcome. They decided to take three modules, and would quietly swap a full one for their partially empty one when no-one was looking. They didn't want to advertise the number of modules they now had in case some idiot decided to boast off-world about all the power they had.

They hurried back to the Jumper each carrying one of the Z.P.Ms in their arms, with the third one hidden in John's backpack, wrapped in his spare clothes.

Back in the Jumper bay, John requested Ford to open the hatch, and when their two teammates saw what they were carrying, their grins almost split their faces in two.

John gave Teyla his Z.P.M. to look after; quickly made his way to the cockpit, and put his pack down by his feet.

The journey back to the Stargate was just as uneventful as the flight to the facility. Aiden dialled Atlantis and sent through their I.D.C., and when they were informed that the shield was down, John guided the Jumper back home.

Their walk back down to Elizabeth's office caused a grin to appear on the face of every person they passed. There was also a big grin on Elizabeth's face as they walked in to her office.

"I see you were successful," she said as they placed the two modules on her desk,

"Yes, we were. Though we did have one problem. The facility objected to people without any sign of the gene, it put up force fields around them, so we had to shut Ford and Teyla in the Jumper to ensure their safety. Therefore, if we do go back, it will be just Rodney and myself that goes on the mission."

"You could take another scientist, marine or airman." she protested.

"But then we'd have to watch them closely to make sure they don't touch anything they shouldn't; and that means it would take us longer to do anything." Rodney protested in return.

Elizabeth grimaced. "Okay, I see your point. I won't push it again."

John grinned. "Thanks! We'd like to get these inspected and installed as soon as possible. Then Rodney and I will come back and do a proper debrief. As for the facility, we will have to go back when we have more time to see how it works." John then picked up one of the Z.P.Ms and walked away with it, followed by Rodney with the other. They then went to a Lab where Radek was waiting for them. They put the three modules into the testing machine which checked their integrity, one at a time, having sworn Radek to secrecy about there being three. Once all three modules had been checked, they moved to the power room, where they inserted two of the modules, before removing the almost depleted one, which they then replaced with the last of the new ones. They packed up the old module and took it back to Rodney's quarters where he hid it away.

"You know what we have to do now, don't you." Rodney asks.

"Go talk to Elizabeth?"

"No, moron, we have to go to the infirmary for our post mission checks."

John groans. "Oh shit! We'd best hurry then, before Carson goes on the warpath."

They don't quite run to the infirmary, and manage to slide in before Carson starts looking for them. Most of their post mission checks have already been completed before Carson appears.

Carson raises an eyebrow at them. "So, where did you two get to after your mission might I ask?"

John grins, "We brought back two Zero Point Modules, got them tested for integrity with Radek's help, then installed them in the power room. We dropped off our kit in our quarters, then came straight here."

Carson's eyes opened wide. "Did you say **two**?" he questioned.

John nodded. "Yes! Yes I did, and they are now powering the city. Plus Radek was contacting Peter to raise the shield in case we get any inquisitive visitors. Jumpers can pass through the shield, but nothing else can."

"Good job, lads, I'm proud of ye. So I'll forgive ye both the detour this time." Carson told them.

"Thanks Carson, can we go now?" Rodney asked as John echoed his thanks to the Physician.

"Aye, I'll call you if I need you to come back."

They didn't need telling twice, disappearing out of the door, and out of sight before Carson could say another word. When they reached the Control Room, they found Radek standing beside Peter, looking at Peter's screen and talking quietly.

"What's up guys?" John asked.

"We are looking at the three Hive Ships, they seem to have slowed down even though they are not near any inhabited planets. So I thought I would keep an eye on them." Peter replied.

John nodded. "Good idea."

"What is a good idea?" Elizabeth asked from behind him.

"Peter is keeping an eye on the Wraith. Apparently they have slowed down for some reason." John replied calmly, as he had seen her coming. Rodney startled, then covered that by moving to the other side of Peter, so that Elizabeth would have an uninterrupted view of the screen.

"Plus, they're not near any planets, so I was curious." Peter stated.

"Has the estimated arrival time, changed very much because of the slowdown?" John asked.

Peter shook his head. "Not at the moment. A change to the arrival time depends on how long they stay where they are."

"Thanks Peter. Could you keep me, Elizabeth and Rodney informed once they start moving again." John asked.

"Will do." Peter replied with a smile.

Elizabeth started walking towards her office, saying. "John, Rodney, I think we have a meeting about your mission today. Radek, would you care to join us?"

"Ano, yes."

Being the last to enter the office, John closed the door and took the nearest seat. When the silence dragged on, he decided to see if he could start the conversation by asking a question. "Elizabeth, do you have any questions about the quick briefing we gave you earlier?"

"The only question that comes to mind is: How did you manage to get in and out of the facility so fast?"

Rodney laughed, and gestured towards John. "You should know by now that Ancient technology acts like an excited puppy around him. It sits up and begs Major Magic Gene to touch it. All the way through the facility, it illuminated things for him to touch. So that's how we got the Z.P.Ms. A green light started flashing, he touched the button beside it and a drawer opened with one in it. He did the same thing twice more, and we had three of them."

John rubbed the back of his neck, then said. "So now you know how we acquired them. Now, though, I'm going to change the subject slightly. As we now have three Z.P.Ms, I suggest we make use of some of that power to relocate the city to another planet before those Wraith ships get anywhere near here."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Do you have a planet in mind?"

"Yes, actually I do. A few weeks ago we visited M12-578. It has a space gate which we could easily move so we don't get a gate conflict. The sea and land areas are very close to the conditions we are used to here on Lantea. Another point in its favor is that Teyla mentioned that the land seemed to be very fertile, and would be a good place to grow crops. So, before we move I think it might be a good idea to take Teyla, and whomever she wants to take with her over to the mainland and see if they would like to live there, rather than couped up in the city."

Elizabeth smiled. "I think that's a good idea John.

"Thanks. There is one thing we must do before we actually move the city, and that is decide where on the planet we want to land. Obviously it has to be over deep water, but I'd prefer if we were closer to the land than we are now. The first is because it would be good to be able to sink the city in situ, if we spot any wraith on our long range scanners. The second, is for easy access to the mainland, so we could easily evacuate everyone from the mainland if the Wraith came by. Perhaps we could do the survey this afternoon."

"Would that give you enough time to get a small science team together, Rodney?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, it would. I can get some botanists and geologists to check out the mainland; plus an oceanographer who has this robot that he sends underwater. John, could you get two extra pilots for this mission? I need one to fly a Jumper to take Pietro Sordi, his assistant and his gear, to do the ocean survey, and another to take a couple of geologists and a couple of botanists."

"Sure." John touched his radio. "Ford, we have a new mission to M12-578 this afternoon. Could you get Markham as pilot and Stackhouse to look after the botanists and geologists that Rodney is going to send with them, they will be doing a survey of the mainland. I think Cornell would be the best pilot for the ocean survey which will be carried out by Pietro Sordi and his assistant, so I think Schmidt should be in charge of that part of the mission." After getting an affirmative from Ford, John turned his attention back to Radek and Rodney.

Satisfied that the transport was being dealt with, Rodney turned towards his second. "Radek, would you check on the Star Drive to make sure all the work the engineers were supposed to be doing has been completed. If it is, I'll trust you and Peter to run the tests we planned."

"Yes, I will do that. I will be most disappointed with them if they have not completed it." Radek replied, the scowl on his face promising retribution if their orders had been ignored.

There was a few moments of silence, and when nothing else was forthcoming, Elizabeth asked. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?" All three men shook their heads. "In that case I declare this meeting closed, we'll reconvene after you get back."

"I'm going to get some lunch while I can," John announced as he stood up and stretched. "Would either of you like to join me."

Rodney immediately said, "I will."

Radek shook his head. "Thank you, but no. I have already arranged to meet up with Sorenson, Depardu and Patil for lunch." he replied, before making his way to the transporter.

John clapped Rodney on his shoulder and said, "Then I guess it's just you and me. Let's go eat!"

When they reached the Mess, they spotted Teyla and Ford, walking towards a table in the far corner, so once they had collected their meals, they walked over to join them.

"I hope you don't mind if we join you," John said as he put his tray on the table and sat down. "But I wanted to pass on some important news. As you know we were in a meeting with Elizabeth and Radek this morning. After talking about the results of our Z.P.M. mission, I put forward a suggestion that we should utilize some of the power we've gained to move the city to another planet before the Wraith get here."

John smirked when his announcement was greeted by stunned silence.

Teyla was the first to regain her composure, and immediately started asking questions. "Move the city? I don't understand. How you could move it? Where could you hide it?"

"Atlantis is also a spaceship," Rodney stated. "We've been looking over the Star Drive ever since we've been here. Radek, and his engineers, have completely overhauled the drive, and now that we have three Z.P.Ms there is no reason why we can't use it to escape to another planet."

"A spaceship?" Teyla asked, disbelief coloring her tone.

John nodded. "Yes, a spaceship. The Ancients flew this city over three and a half million light years from Earth to here. That happened about five million years ago." John added. "They left behind the "base station" as it were, called Terra Atlantus, Terra being their name for our home planet; and Atlantus for the outpost left behind when Atlantis left our planet. According to Daniel's translations from Terra Atlantus' database, Atlantis was on Terra for over thirty-five million years before it left to come to Pegasus.

"The Terra Atlantus outpost was found by a team from Stargate Command. I think Daniel said their wormhole had been diverted to the stargate there. From the Atlantus database they also found out that the Ancients had seeded our Galaxy with humans and star gates, in the same way that they did after they arrived here. However, they also intermarried with Earth's population which is the reason I have such a strong version of the gene. When I went home for a few days before coming here, I took a little bauble with me, provided by Daniel, and used it to try out my young cousins and my nephew. It lit up for all of them."

"So we have a mission this afternoon," Rodney said trying to get back on topic. "We need to take another look at M12-578, you'll remember we went there a few weeks ago. It had a space gate. We are going to take three Jumpers, one containing botanists and geologists, an oceanographer in the third, to make sure that it's a suitable world for us to use."

"Teyla we would like you to come with us," John added. "Also, is there anyone from your people you would like to bring with you to take a look at the mainland?"

Teyla shook her head. "Halling is on a trading mission at the moment. He is not due to return until tomorrow."

John nodded his understanding. "I know when we were looking at the mainland on the planet, you particularly liked that central valley. Is that what you would like to take another look at, or somewhere else?"

"I think that central valley could be ideal for my people. I am pleased that you are bringing botanists to investigate the area, but from what I saw, everything that was growing there was what we would expect to see, and be able to use."

John grinned. "Okay, then, if we leave here in a couple of hours, it should be mid-morning when we reach M12-578 which should give us plenty of time to assess the viability of the planet as our new home. Also, we need to find out if the planet already has a name."

"I've already got the archeology department looking into that," Rodney replied. "It seemed like a good idea, after our visit there, to find out more about the planet."

Two hours later, three Jumpers left Atlantis and went through the space gate over M12-578.

~~#~~

Elizabeth twisted her left hand slightly to check on the time, and tried not to show she was a little surprised that Sheppard and the others had now been gone nearly three and a half hours. Unable to sit at her desk any longer, she walked over to Peter Grodin in the control room, and asked, "Peter, are the Wraith still in the same place?"

Grodin nodded, "They don't seem to have moved very much at all, Doctor Weir. If they do start moving perceptively we will let you know."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, Peter. In just over half an hour the Major should be checking in with an update on their progress. So, in the meantime, I'm going to the Mess Hall to get something to eat. I should be back in time for the first check in. If not, take a message. Either way, I'll check with you on the way back."

"Enjoy your meal Doctor Weir, I will take a message when they call." Peter said to her retreating figure.

~~#~~

Teyla listened carefully as the two botanists, Martin and Paula McKenzie made their reports to Major Sheppard about the viability of the valley's flora and fauna; and in the process confirming her estimations of the fertility of the soil. When the reports had been given to him, John turned towards Teyla, and asked. "Is there anything else that you need to know Teyla?"

"I am very pleased that their investigations have confirmed my own impressions about the viability of being able to grow crops in this valley." Teyla replied. "I was talking to Vernon Peters a little while ago. He and Colin also believe that the higher ground on this side of the valley would be an ideal place to build our village."

John grinned. "Great! I'm glad that we've found such a good place for you to live. All we're waiting for now, is to hear from Pietro about the best place to position the city." He put his hand up to halt any conversation while he listened to his radio. Then he turned to the others and said, "That was Sergeant Cornell. Pietro has finished his survey, and he has found an ideal spot for us to land the city, so they are on their way here right now."

Even as John finished speaking, they could see the Jumper coming towards them. After it had landed beside the other two Jumpers, the back hatch was let down and the four travellers joined them.

John praised the new arrivals for finding a place for the city so quickly, then asked, "Is there anyone that hasn't finished their full set of tests?" Everyone shook their heads, so he went on, "In that case, I want everyone back on their assigned Jumper. We're nearly at the time for our first check in, so let's surprise them by arriving home early."

Knowing how often John's team were overdue, everyone laughed and quickly made their way to their assigned Jumpers. Once the Jumpers were loaded and closed up, John took off and led the way through the atmosphere to the space gate. As they came within range of the gate, John said, "Dial the gate and send our I.D.C."

~~#~~

Sitting at the main console, Grodin checked his watch; only a few minutes before the first check-in was due. Even as the thought crossed Peter's mind the gate began to to dial and he automatically activated the shield, calling out, "Unscheduled Activation!" He watched closely as the Marine guard hurried into place. Then a hand fell on his shoulder and he looked round to find that Doctor Weir was standing beside him. He nodded to her quickly, then turned back to his screen. "It's Doctor McKay's I.D.C."

Elizabeth smiled, then asked, "Rodney, how are you getting on?"

"We've finished the surveys, and would like to come home." he replied, sounding just a little bit smug.

Weir nodded at Peter who deactivated the shield, then she spoke into her mike again, "The shield is down, you are cleared to come through."

"Thanks." McKay replied, and moments later the first Jumper came through and rose up into the bay, soon followed by Jumpers two and three.

They parked the Jumpers side by side and powered them down, then trouped down the lowered ramps and made their way to the medical centre for their post mission checks.

As each person was was cleared by the medical staff, they made their way back to the Control Room where Peter Grodin passed on a message from Doctor Weir that she was waiting for them in the large conference room, where they would find tea, coffee, bottled water and snacks waiting for them.

Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne were the last people through the doors, which they locked before getting themselves some food and a drink, then taking their places at the table.

Once everyone has eaten at least some of their meal, Elizabeth clears her throat and asks. "John, please could you give us an update on the readiness to fly Atlantis to the new planet?"

John takes a gulp to finish the coffee in the cup he's holding, then turns his head towards his XO. "Major, how close are we to being able to take off without things falling over?"

Lorne looks at his watch, then said, "It will be maybe two or three more hours, Sir. We are still ferrying people and livestock from the mainland. However, we have completed tying the free-standing equipment to railings so that they remain upright."

"Do you need any more pilots or other help?"

"No, I believe that using any new people now would actually slow things down."

After giving it some thought, John said, "Yes, I can understand that. Actually, I think that would fit in well with the schedule that Rodney and I were discussing earlier. We need to delay take off until Lantea is round the other side of the Sun. If we take off too soon, then our engines will light up the sky, and the Wraith hives will be able to see which way we are going. However, if we wait until the Sun is between us and them, we stand a much better chance of getting away without being seen at all."

Rodney nodded, "The new planet we've chosen is a fair distance away from here, and will actually be much closer to the Milky Way Galaxy than we are now. There are quite a few planets between here and the one we have chosen to settle on; plus there are no planets with indiginous populations nearby to draw attention to the area."

With their reports already in a pile in front of Elizabeth, their exploration of the new planet and its solar system has lightened the mood, and they finish eating their meals with a lot of chatter and laughter around the table. Eventually Elizabeth declares the meeting over, and the participants drift away to get on with the next part of the afternoon's business.

John and Rodney follow Lorne out of the conference room to see for themselves how much more work needs to be done before John can sit in the chair and guide Atlantis to her new home.

After a while Peter Grodin, calls John and Rodney back to the Control room, where he and Radek Zelenka are keeping their eyes on the Wraith, and the position of the sun. They stand around talking for a while, then Lorne contacts them to let them know that everyone, and everything is now in a safe place, and that they can lift off whenever they are ready. 

John goes directly to the Chair Room, whilst Rodney has a quick word with Elizabeth about making the announcement to the rest of the expedition about getting ready for lift-off.

John is sitting with the chair in the upright position waiting for Rodney to join him, and for Elizabeth to finish making the agreed announcement about lift-off.

As soon as Elizabeth has finished talking, John leans back in the chair and initializes the Stardrive. They can feel the power building and the view on the monitor changes as they slowly rise into the air, letting the water run off the city. Rodney then raises the shield, and they gain height and disappear into the night from Lantea, using the Sun as their shield until they are so far away that they can barely see the star around which they have orbited for so long.

The cityship is now hidden by other planets and stars as they make their way through the night. After what seems an age, yet not really very long, they approach their new home, and John with the aid of Rodney and Radek, brings the ship to a halt and lowers it on to the sea, without too much of a splash, then there is silence as the star drive is turned off.

The Chair moves into an upright position and Rodney pulls John to his feet. Radek waves them away. "Get some sleep," he says. "You both look as if you could sleep for a week."

"Not that long!" John protests over his shoulder, then he allows himself to be pulled to the transporter which will drop them opposite their apartment, to get some well-earned rest.

Once inside their living quarters, they make their way to the bedroom, shedding clothes on the way, until they reach the large double bed where they both snuggle under the duvet and drift off to sleep.

The End 

 

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End file.
